Action moves to New Bedford, Vineyard

The state held information sessions this week in New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard on opportunities to lease up to 3,000 square miles of federal waters off Massachusetts for offshore wind energy development.

The state held information sessions this week in New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard on opportunities to lease up to 3,000 square miles of federal waters off Massachusetts for offshore wind energy development.

The Vineyard Gazette reported that Vineyard Power, which it described as “the cooperative set up with the aim of securing stable, renewable electricity for the Island,” will vote on a preferred site. The paper quoted VP president Richard Andre as saying, “We’re not making a commitment to develop anything yet, but we need to have the real estate claimed.”

Charlie McLaughlin, the Barnstable assistant town attorney who serves also as president of the Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative, said Vineyard Power is “not a cooperative of municipalities” as is CVEC.

On another matter, McLaughlin said some members of the town council’s solar subcommittee have been meeting with the CVEC board as it reviews bids from the three finalists to collaborate with Cape towns in setting up extensive solar photovoltaic arrays on their closed landfills. Another session was planned yesterday [Feb. 17].